Anglican Communion in Kenya and the charm of religiosity

“We are true and original Anglicans’’ This is a common statement that we hear most of our traditional and religious members of the Anglican Communion in Kenya claim with pride. ‘You cannot take it away from us,’ they chide. AnglicanCommunion in Kenya falls under the world wide Anglican Communion. This is the story we bring you as a week opener.

Archbishop Dr Eliud Wabukala is the current de facto head of the Anglican Communion in Kenya. He is also the diocesan Bishop of All Saints Diocese in Nairobi. The Anglican Communion in Kenya boosts of several dioceses in its Provinces.

Dr Wabukala is also the chairman of GAFCON, an African Anglican Communion initiative of African Primates that was formed during the protest of the controversial acceptance of ordinations of gay clergy and Bishops into the Anglican Communion. This almost developed into a major split in the Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams is the purported world wide leader of the Anglican Communion, though in a ceremonial capacity. ‘We share together the apostolic faith within the body of Christ; witnessing the Good News of Salvation.’ How many of you share the Anglican Communion in Kenya?

Religiosity embedded in the fellowship of the Anglican Communion in Kenya

I have faithfully attended church services within the fellowship of the Anglican Communion in Kenya and interestingly, majority of the congregants adhere to the traditions and norms of the church to the latter, to the extent of telling off a priest when they miss out on some liturgy.

We walk, talk, greet, seat, behave, dress and even eat like Anglicans. The ‘tukutendereza’ greeting preceded by the special hug and kiss is always the norm before and after church services. It is a greeting for the better Anglican brethren. I wonder if this religiosity practice will help us to even see the gates of heaven, while deep in our hearts we know that we have planted forbidden and demonic seeds.’

We were faithfully baptized with a mark of the cross in trinity, reciting the entire beautiful and perfect liturgy on behalf our newly born infants and on behalf of ourselves reminding us of our Anglicanism, religiosity or Christianity whichever the case. Which of these three do you think is almost impracticable?

I guess it is Christianity which is superior. It’s a temple of the Trinity housing the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, making it even more difficult because the desires we have for the things of the flesh tend to override the merger. Anglicanism and religiosity are normally social identities that are easily practicable without the thought of injecting spiritual growth.

A tradition without the Trinity not only helps us to adorn a sheep’s skin, but also helps us to become potential wolves. Our Anglicanism and religiosity doesn’t hook us up with any favor with God. The Anglican Communion in Kenya embedding vices like discrimination, corruption and social injustices is a mockery before the eyes of the Lord.

Anglican Communion in Kenya and the changing times

The Anglican Communion in Kenya might have ignorantly embedded wrong traditions, or maybe it could be the changing modern times that are opening up windows of transformation. Theology is a really amazing and expanding subject that one can explore.

Modern theologians are flexible to embrace new ideologies while conservatives are resistant to theological changes. Contextualizing scriptures and interpreting them wrongly can be very detrimental to the growth of the Church of God.

The Anglican Communion in Kenya has time and again subjected its congregants with unconventional priests and evangelists who have no theological background or knowledge. At independence or thereabout the population of the Anglican Communion in Kenya was about 2million against a population of 4million Kenyans. That is to say half of the population of Kenyans was of the Anglican Communion.

Today the Anglican Communion in Kenya stands at a population of about 3million against a population of 40milion Kenyans. This clearly demonstrates a dangerous trend which might lead to empty Anglican churches and probably we might be forced to turn our churches into museums.

“And the lord said that the harvest is plenty but the harvesters are few.” So can we practically harvest for the Lord so that we make meaning when we claim that we are His servants. In season and out of season, in changing times and in modern times the harvest will remain plenteous, but we must demonstrate the love of Christ so that we may be able to receive the harvest.

Anglican Communion in Kenya hosting the Archbishop of Canterbury

Anglican Communion in Kenya led by Dr Wabukala recently hosted the Archbishop of Canterbury enabling him to view some of the beautiful scenery of Lake Nakuru and the local wildlife. The question is what was the significance of Dr Rowans visit to the local Anglican Communion in Kenya?

The Anglican Communion in Kenya provided an opportunity for Dr Rowan to plant a tree in a tree planting ceremony at a Christian prayer centre, Jehovah Sharma, which was constructed recently to provide a space for those seeking conference facilities or a quiet environment for a retreat.

Dr Williams together with Archbishop Dr Wabukala led the Anglican Communion in Kenya in laying the first ever foundation stone for the proposed site of the 1st Anglican University of Kenya in Embu. They also participated in a Eucharistic celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Nakuru.

The only problem is that the visit was crowded with some kind of secrecy that to some members of the Anglican Communion in Kenya felt was a bad betrayal. The visit provided an opportunity for the Anglican Communion in Kenya to showcase the spirit and latter of oneness.

Anglican Communion in Kenya and the stand on Homosexuality

Anglican Church of Kenya has been on the forefront in making known its stand on the issue of Homosexuality. But this has not stopped some members of the Anglican Communion in Kenya to practice or to be homosexuals.

Some members of the Anglican Communion in Kenya have initiated internalized debates of whether the bible accepts Homosexuality or not. This debate is led by a respected but retired Anglican priest Rev Michael Kimindu who is currently the President of the Other Sheep Africa an organization that is giving hope and spiritual nourishment to the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender, the Intersex and other minority groups.

The Anglican Communion in Kenya led by its leadership would not grapple with the thought of a possible research on Homosexuality, with the exception of few scholars who have not publicly released their publications.

Discussions on Homosexuality could possibly be the most threatening ‘scourge’ that the Anglican Communion in Kenya and its leadership are facing. The possibility of some of its members, breaking away is so real a dilemma in the making.

Some Anglican pro-gay activists are optimistic that with, or without the Anglican Communion in Kenya and or other religious pundits, they are sure that they will be eventually accepted by both by the church and the society.

‘’I have witnessed my fellow clergy using clobber verses to condemn homosexuality ,yet with the same breath I have taken time to read and contextualize the said texts. My findings are completely different. I think theology has suffered a blow by none progressive clergy. I believe that theology changes but the word of God remains the same. No matter the knowledge we have from our theology, the church has failed to engage actively in the study of Sexuality,’’ says Rev Kimindu.

Rev Kimindu is not a gay priest nor does he promotes homosexuality but he says he received a calling from God to serve the other sheep a concept founded in the book of John 10:14-16. The other sheep he says include all those that are despised and rejected by society including sexual minorities.

Some of the verses that are used to attack homosexuals are Genesis 19, Jude 7, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:21-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Timothy 1:10.

He says that the Anglican Communion in Kenya has a group of priests silently affirming to inclusion of Homosexuals in the communion after undergoing trainings on sexuality and what the bible says, but the fear of loosing their jobs is so real.